The BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in New Delhi has been bestowed with the honor of being the world's largest Hindu temple by the Guinness Book of World Records. In yet another world record, Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushotam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Pramukh Swami Maharaj has been credited with establishing and consecrating the largest number of Hindu temples ever by a single person.

The AkshardhamTemple in New Delhi is spread over an area of 86,342 square feet. It is 356 feet long, 316 feet wide and 141 feet high. The grand temple has been built in Vedic design with ornate, hand-carved stones and was consecrated on November 6, 2005.

Poetry in stone, the temple is a masterpiece in pink sandstone and white marble and has 234 ornate pillars, over 20,000 sculptures and statues of deities, eleven 72-foot-high huge domes and numerous decorative arches. The temple stands on 148 huge elephants and is encircled by a double storied colonnade which depicts tales from the epics. The complex has exhibition halls, an Imax theatre, musical fountain and sprawling garden.

Here is a short video on the AkshardhamTemple in New Delhi

Presenting the records to Swami Maharaj, Michael Whitty, a senior member of the Guinness World Record Main Management Committee, said,

‘It took us three months of research, pouring over the extensive architectural plans of the Akshardham, and also those of other temples of comparable size, visiting and inspecting the site, before we were convinced that Akshardham deserved the title’. ‘Akshardham showcases the essence of India's ageless art, borderless culture and timeless values,’ he said.

BAPS Pramukh Swami Maharaj has so far consecrated 713 Hindu temples, the largest number of temples consecrated ever by any individual.